AIDS-related gay activism in socialist Slovenia and its transnational context, 1984-1991

Abstract

The article examines grassroots AIDS-related gay activism in socialist Slovenia in the mid-to-late 1980s, a period marked by the lack of relevant official initiatives. It argues that gay activists played a crucial role in disseminating important information to curb HIV transmission within their community. Simultaneously, their advocacy for safer sex and a comprehensive socio-political approach to AIDS, aimed at reducing stigma, also had a broader social impact. The article illustrates how the content and language of these grassroots campaigns were shaped by a selective and reflective reception of transnational transfers of ideas tailored to the Slovenian context. The article helps diversify the history of AIDS activism in Europe by highlighting the understudied synergies between socialist youth structures, gay activism and AIDS campaigning. It also highlights the importance of hitherto under-studied cross-border transfers for political and media reactions to AIDS in Slovenia in Yugoslavia, as well as gay and lesbian movements in the former.